Manny Pacquiao and Jessie Vargas gearing up for a tough battle in Las Vegas

37 year old legendary boxer Manny Pacquiao is training rigorously in preparation for his November 5 battle against Jessie Vargas. This will be the welterweight boxer’s first fight ever since he announced his retirement from boxing in April this year. He had decided to hung up his boxing boots in order to concentrate on his senatorial duties but this was only shortlived as he has since reconsidered his decision.

In a bid to balance his legislative duties with his sportsmanship demands, the eight division world champion has been taking to training in the morning and evening and attending senate sessions throughout the day. He has never missed a senate session ever since his election in May. This is unlike his congressman days when he was frequently criticized for missing house sessions.

Away from political matters, the Filipino boxing champion officially began training for the upcoming match on August 29. He left Manila for the U.S. on Saturday to go and put on finishing touches on his training as well as acclimatise ahead of the much awaited match. He will be undertaking his training at his coach’s Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood as he waits for the November 5 boxing night.

Who will the victor be?

As Pacquiao and Vargas prepare to face each other at the Thomas & Mark Center in Las Vegas, debate rages on concerning who between the two will triumph over the other come fight night.

Will Pacquiao strip Vargas of his WBO Welterweight world title? Well, this is a question that is difficult to answer. Even though Pacquiao seems like the favorite to win now that he has 38 knockouts against Vargas’ 10, you can’t really say that he is the one who will carry the night.

To start with, the American has the title which he, Pacquiao failed to win against Floyd Mayweather in 2015. Vargas showed the world what he is made of by fighting fierce boxer Timothy Bradley Jr for the world title in June 2015 and knocking him out in the dying moments of the game. His win was however unfortunately ruled out due to a referee’s mistake and Bradley was instead declared the winner by the judges’ unanimous decision. Had the refereeing mistake not cost him the win, he would have gone down the annals of boxing history as the first boxer to ever stop Bradley. When Bradley declined to take part in a rematch and instead chose to face Pacquiao for the third time, Vargas went ahead and won the Welterweight world title that had consequently become vacant against his countryman Sadam Ali.

A career of wins

Even though Vargas doesn’t boast as much professional experience as his Filipino rival, his short boxing career has been characterized by wins. He has never lost to any opponent save for his loss against Bradley last year. This, together with the fact that he is the reigning champion puts him in a strong position when he faces Pacquiao in less than two weeks time.

The 27 year old Los Angeles native is known for enduring body punches and landing unexpected head shots on his opponents. If he manages to pull this move on the boxer cum politician, he might just end up retaining his title that many a boxing follower are betting on him to lose. In addition to everything, Vargas will be fighting on home spoil and this is likely to spur him into top action in an effort to please the many fans who will be urging him on.

Pacquiao the most likely to be champion

In spite of the winning chances which Vargas has, the scales are still in large way tipping in Pacquiao’s favor. The General Santos resident’s professional accomplishments and experience hugely dwarf those of his American rival. He is an eight division world champion whereas Vargas has only been a champion at about two or three categories. Pacquiao has also fought who is who in the boxing world. The list of opponents he has faced include big names such as Mayweather, Oscar de la Hoya, and Ricky Hatton among many more.

On top of his accomplishments and experience, Pacquiao’s performance in his last match also points out his likelihood to win the upcoming duel. He won against Bradley Jr by a unanimous decision a month before he was selected to the senate. His win was not just an ordinary win but one with two knockdowns. If he can pull a similar performance on the American then the title which had eluded him in Mayweather’s hands might just be his this time.

For now, it remains to be seen whether it is Pac-Man or La Nueva Generacion who will carry the night in Las Vegas.